Chapter 36 Dex
Dex
When my phone sounds with a text notification, I’m almost scared to look at it.
Burlone is vibrating with anger, pacing the small office like a caged beast. Curses flying, he chucks a book against the wall then continues tossing every threat he can think of at the girl who just schooled him in a game of poker, taking over three hundred thousand dollars with a single hand.
It’s not the money he’s pissed about, though. It’s his pride.
“That bitch has no idea what she’s done,” he spits. “She thinks she can embarrass me? That she can fucking take my money? I swear…. Who is she, anyway?”
Sei’s dry laugh reverberates through the silent room. “Funny enough, I overheard her having a little conversation with someone before the tournament. Seems she has an interesting connection with a certain Romano prince.”
With furrowed brows, Burlone voices the same question filtering through my mind. “Kingston?”
Sei nods, looking happy as ever.
“How the hell does she know Kingston?”
“Apparently,” he laughs, “they’re fucking each other.”
My gaze bounces back to Burlone, waiting to see his reaction.
Scratching his jaw, a contemplative Burlone remains silent, letting the information marinate before stating, “I want her dead.”
“You can’t do that,” I interject.
“Excuse me?” Burlone asks his voice brooking no argument.
“Yeah? Why the hell not?” Sei adds.
“Because it doesn’t take a genius to figure out she’s on your shit list for beating you tonight. The Feds are already up our asses, and you, yourself have been saying we need to lie low. Having the girl who embarrassed you on national television disappear isn’t exactly discreet.”
Burlone narrows his gaze but doesn’t argue.
“Well,” Sei offers, “At least you fucked over Kingston tonight, right? Which means the Feds will be backing off soon, and you should get the opportunity to teach her a lesson. Dex is right. I wouldn’t kill her. That pretty little ass looks like a ripe peach, ready for the picking.”
Their voices fade into the background as I pull out my phone and read a message sent from my contact. The guy who should be dead right now, or at the very least, in the FBI’s custody. The guy who was supposed to have purchased the girls from Marty. Thomas.
Private Number: The fruit never ripened.
Fuck.
Looking over at Sei, I find him staring at me with pinched brows as Burlone keeps ranting.
I lick my lips then clear my throat gaining their attention.
“Yeah?” Sei asks, having lost his earlier amusement from the tournament.
“The fruit wasn’t delivered.”
When a heavy silence encompasses the room, I wait for the fallout, and I’m not disappointed.
“What?” Burlone’s stare is like ice.
“Just got a text from the buyer. Marty never showed.”
“Fuck!” Burlone bellows, shoving everything off his desk. The veins near his temple are throbbing with unrestrained fury. He looks as if he’s ready to explode.
“First the tournament? Now, this?” A loud growl escapes him before he stalks toward me and shoves me up against the nearest wall.
When my back hits the blood-red surface of his office, I grit my teeth and try to calm the overwhelming need to shove him away from me.
I’m twice Burlone’s size and half his age. I could kill him with ease, but I don’t have a death wish. I know what happens to members who betray their family. Hell, I’m the one who executed Burlone’s orders in the past to show them their place.
With a clenched jaw, I try to ignore the spittle as it flies toward my face. “I gave you one fucking job, Dex. One job. And you failed. I should bury you for this.”
I don’t bother responding. It wouldn’t do me any good, anyway.
“Then where are the girls?” Sei interjects from his seated position in the corner. Lazily, he lights a cigarette and lets it hang from the corner of his mouth. Just like me, he’s used to Burlone’s outbursts.
“How the fuck should I know?” Burlone roars.
With my shirt tangled in his grip, Burlone leans forward with a wicked glare. “You gonna fix this, Dex?” His tone is hot with rage as I stare right back at him.
“If you let me go, I will.”
Reluctantly, he does as I ask then continues his pacing from earlier. Dialing Marty, I’m greeted with his voicemail which only confirms my suspicion.
“Marty isn’t answering.”
“Which means….” Sei’s voice trails off, letting me fill in the blank.
“It means he’s dead.”
“What do we know?” Burlone grits out.
“We know Marty’s missing, likely dead, the girls are absent, and that your plan to screw over Kingston fell through.”
Sei interjects, “We also know his girlfriend was at the tournament tonight and beat your ass in a game of cards.”
“And that we can’t touch her,” I add.
With a snarl, a pissed off Burlone collapses into his chair behind his oak desk, rattling the floor with his weight.
Slowly, the seconds on the clock audibly tick throughout the room as we all search for a solution to get us out of this mess.
Or namely, Burlone out of this mess because he doesn’t give two shits about Sei or me.
“I have an idea,” Sei’s gruff voice breaks the silence that was slowly driving me mad.
“And what’s that?” Burlone rumbles.
“I think we can all assume this has Kingston written all over it.”
Both of us nod.
“And I think we can also assume there are too many eyes on the girl for her to disappear.”
Again, we nod. We’ve already established this.
“But I know how badly you want to make Kingston hurt, right?”
This time, I turn to Burlone to see his lips pulling into a thin line as he tries to compose himself. “Get to the point, Sei.”
“His sister.”
Squeezing my eyes shut, I know that with those two simple words, an innocent girl’s fate has been sealed. And if I’m being completely honest, I’m surprised Sei was sharp enough to think of it himself.
With a snap of Burlone’s fingers, he smiles. “Get it done.”
“The only problem is, we don’t know who she is or where she likes to go. So, how exactly would you like me to proceed?” Sei has a point.
Burlone offers, “I’ll forward the image Dominic sent.”
The air in the room grows thick with possibilities; each of them swirling into a chaotic blur.
Rolling his shoulders, Sei comments, “Okay.”
“And Sei?”
“Yeah?”
“I don’t want anyone else to know who we have. We need to play our cards right.” Tapping his nubby fingers against his chin, Burlone adds, “While you’re at it, grab a few more apples.”
“Done.” Sei pushes himself up from his seat, and I follow him toward the door when Burlone stops me. “Dex.”
Turning on my heel, I raise my brows. “Yeah?”
“Kingston’s girl might not be able to go missing, but that doesn’t mean she can’t get mugged on her way home from Sin. The streets are dangerous for a pretty girl like that at night. Understand?”
My stomach turns, but I don’t argue. “Yeah, Boss.”
“Good. I’ll be on the floor doling out congratulatory ass-kissing for the rest of the night. Good luck, gentlemen.” His lips quirk up mischievously before waving me out the door. Without a backward glance, I exit with the intent to follow orders that I know will make me sick.
Isn’t the first time.
Won’t be the last.